Although the event itself was tiny - a switch being flicked on - hundreds of Hitchin-ites turned out to celebrate this Friday night. With Advent on Sunday, it really feels as if Christmas is on the way, despite the unseasonably warm weather.
The market square was thronged with families, couples and people just there to see what all the fuss was about. Delightful musical preparation came from the Christmas Belles - a group of Hitchin girls led by Lily Norman - and the queues for mulled wine went on seemingly forever.
Hitchin does this kind of event so well. It brought to mind the old days of the town centre brought to a standstill for Rhythms of the World in the old days. That sense of being part of a community with a common aim of being entertained.
The tree itself looked just the same as last year and the lights when illuminated were nothing too glitsy. Yet it was a delightful event. The facts that all the main lights in the town are provided through the retailers and businesses, organised by Town Centre manager Keith Hoskins makes this even more of a community event.
Hitchin people lighting up Hitchin town in preparation for Christmas. Let's hope it's a good one for us all.
